Dual locking device



R. R. THOMAS 2,963,895

DUAL LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 6, 1958 Dec. 13, 1960 /Z Z0 1:: L2

Ralph .R'Thomc s INVENTOR.

United States Patent DUAL LOCKING DEVICE Ralph R. Thomas, '3110 N. 19th,Tacoma, Wash.

Filed June 6, 1958, Ser. No. 740,432

'4 Claims. (Cl. 70-14) This invention rel-ates to locking devices forlocking together two relatively movable objects by means of twopadlocks, the objects being released by unlocking either one of thepadlocks.

There are numerous padlocked installations such as fence gates,storerooms, structures housing water and light meters and the like whichare to be made accessible to two or more persons one of whom, usuallythe proprietor, may wish to use a master key which he does not wish torelease to the other person. Accordingly he may wish to employ a duallocking device which will accommodate two padlocks, one of which may beopened with his master key and the other by a special key provided forthe purpose. Unlocking either padlock, however, affords access to thelocked installation.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a duallocking device which accomplishes the foregoing purpose.

The manner in which the above and other objects of this invention areaccomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification andclaims considered together with the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference indicate like parts and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the herein described device in locked position;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the herein described lockingdevice;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the herein described locking device in openedposition; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The herein described locking device, generally considered, comprises aguide having a pair of spaced openings transversely therethrough and apair of slides adapted to work in the guide and each having therethrougha transverse opening. Stop means interengage the guide and slides,determining the movement of the slides between inserted positionswherein the openings therein register with the corresponding openings inthe guide, and withdrawn positions wherein the openings in the guide andslides are out of registration with each other. A pair of arms areafiixed one to each of the slides in such a manner that their free endsare substantially in meeting relationship with each other when theslides are in inserted position, thus joining two relatively movableobjects which are to be locked together.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particularreference to the drawings.

The locking device of my invention includes a guide or body portionwhich in the illustrated embodiment is made from a single, reverselybent piece of metal. The guide is formed with a pair of registering,longitudinallyextending slots 12 each of which may terminate in enlargedtransverse openings 14.

Slides or latches 16, each formed with a transverse opening 18, aredimensioned to slide in the guide end to end. Openings 18 are sopositioned that when the slides are fully inserted in the guide, theyregister with the corresponding openings 14 through the latter.

Stop means are provided for interengaging the slide and guide andlimiting the relative movement of the same between an advanced positionwherein the slide is fully inserted in the guide with the openings inregistration as set forth above, and a withdrawn position wherein theslides are substantially withdrawn from the guide so that the openingsno longer register.

In the illustrated form of the invention the stop means compriseabutment pins 20 extending transversely through the inner terminalportions of the slides and dimensioned to work in slots 12. However,upon withdrawal of the slides, they abut against the end walls ofopenings 14 and prevent the complete removal of the slides from theguide.

One end of each of a pair of arms 22, 24 is afiixed to the outerterminal portion of a respective one of slides 16. These arms are formedin such a manner that their outer ends are substantially in meetingrelationship to each other when the slides are fully inserted in theguide so that they may be used to join two relatively movable objectswhich are to be locked together.

Preferably one of the arms, e.g. arm 22, mounts a sleeve 26 the openingin which is aligned with the terminal portion of [the meeting arm 24 andwhich is adapted to receive the same when the device is in lockedposition.

Operation In use, arms 22, 24 are placed through or around the twoobjects to be locked together, for example, through a padlock hasp, withthe end of arm 24 seated in sleeve 26 to prevent prying the arms apart.Padlocks 28, 30 then are inserted through registering openings 14, 18 oneach side of the device and locked so that the apparatus assumes theposition of Fig. l.

Padlocks 28, 30 may be operable by the same or different keys. Thus ifthe holder of the key fitting padlock 30 wishes to open the device, hefirst opens padlock 30, removes it from the openings in the device andslips slide 16 out of guide 10 until abutment pin 20 engages the outerterminal portion of slot 12. This separates the formerly meeting ends ofarms 22, 24 so that the device assumes the position of Fig. 3 in whichit may be disengaged from the objects which it previously had lockedtogether, releasing them for relative movement.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shownand described, is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dual locking device comprising a guide having a pair of spacedopenings transversely therethrough, a pair of slides adapted to workindividually in the guide and each having therethrough a transverseopening, stop means interengaging the guide and slides for determiningthe movement of the slides between inserted locked positions wherein theopenings therein register with the corresponding openings in the guideto accommodate a pair of padlocks, and withdrawn released positionswherein the openings are out of registration with each other, and a pairof arms afiixed one to each of the slides with their free endssubstantially in meeting relationship with each other in the lockedposition for joining together two objects which are to be lockedtogether and with their free ends separated in the released position ofeither slide for disengaging the objects.

2. The locking device of claim 1 wherein the stop means comprisesabutment means on each slide for contacting the guide when the slidesare in their withdrawn positions.

3. The locking device of claim 1 wherein the guide comprises a pair ofinterconnected plates having parallel, registering,longitudinally-arranged slots therein termi- 5 nating at the openings inthe guide, and wherein the stops means comprise abutment pinsdimensioned to work in the slots.

4. The locking device of claim 3 wherein the plates forming the guidecomprise a reversely bent metal sheet. 10

References Cried in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS TaylorApr. 20, 1915 Sturr Mar. 6, 1917 Slade Sept. 25, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTSGermany Mar. 16, 1923

